The first round of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs is now history, and it was indeed an exciting opening round with five games 7 and an overall very competitive product. It’s now the second round and there should be no lack of excitement.
In the first round, this author’s predictions went six to eight. Not shabby. Now let’s try to do at least as well in the second round:
Florida vs. Tampa Bay
The winner: Florida, in six games
The Why: The fight for the Sunshine State promises to be a fast-paced, high-quality affair that will see the Panthers aim to reach the Eastern Finals for the first time since 1995-96 and only the second time in franchise history, and the Lightning, who endured a tough battle against Toronto and are still trying to win their third straight trophy. Star Bolts goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy didn’t look like himself in round one until Game 6 overtime against the Leafs, but he definitely looked more confident in Game 7 and was one of the main reasons Tampa sent Toronto home.
The Panthers, on the other hand, got a first-round scare from Washington before their abundance of talent took over and eliminated the Capitals. They are as deep, if not deeper than lightning, and they can play the way their opponent wants. Florida needs a better performance from goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to get rid of Tampa Bay, but Bobrovsky will have help from the Panthers’ defensive corps. It won’t be easy, but Florida has the horses to ride past the Bolts and eliminate the defending champions.
Carolina vs New York Rangers
The winner: Carolina, in seven games
The why: Both the Hurricanes and Bruins needed a seventh game to win their first-round series, and this showdown has the potential to be another drawn-out battle. Even if the Hurricanes get first-choice goaltender Frederik Andersen back from injured reserve, they would have to give Rangers and Hart Trophy finalist Igor Shesterkin the goaltender advantage.
Carolina’s group of defenders has a slight advantage over the blueshirts’ D-men, and it’s fairly even between their groups of forwards. This is another series that should go the full seven games.
Ultimately, I like the Hurricanes for their speed, depth of defense and coaching. Carolina bench boss Rod Brind’Amour almost always has his players ready to go early in games and I think that gives the canes a little difference in the overall picture.
Colorado Avalanche vs. St. Louis Blues
The winner: Colorado, in six games
The Why: The Avalanche rolled over the Nashville Predators in round one, and while the Blues, who upset the slightly favored Minnesota Wild in round one, will make it harder for Colorado in round two, the Avs will have just too much talent for St. Louis to overcome it.
That’s not to say the Blues can’t make it a seven-game streak, pull off a few lucky jumps in Game 7, and shock the Avalanche to complete the upset. That only happens when St. Louis produce outstanding performances at Jordan Binnington’s net, score goals from veteran Vets like winger David Perron, and the Blues’ defense stalls the Avs’ attacking waves long enough to take the lead and hold it.
I think St. Louis can do all of these things, but not all at once. That could give the Avs all the opportunities they need to take advantage and advance to the Western Conference Finals. Colorado’s depth of talent and determination is more on paper than any other second-round team. It will be all St. Louis can do to keep up with them.
Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers
The winner: Calgary, in five games
The Why: Finally, the Battle of Alberta has become a reality. Both teams nearly got knocked out the first time, both needing seven games to stay alive in the postseason. It could be a keeper battle this time, with Flames star Jacob Markstrom holding a clear advantage over Oilers counterpart Mike Smith.
Otherwise, the two Albertan teams are close, and while superstars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are the two most talented individuals on the series, there will be no blowouts and Calgary’s top line will cause Edmonton’s back a lot of trouble. If Calgary comes out of the gate strong, head coach Darryl Sutter will have the killer instinct installed on his team and they should be able to shut down the Oilers relatively quickly. However, this series will be very emotional – perhaps the most emotional of all the series playing this spring and summer.